State Of GraceCombining photography and dance, Lois Greenfield reveals the elusive beauty of movement |
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| By Ibarionex R. Perello, Photography by Lois Greenfield | |
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Page 4 of 4 “I’m collaborating and performing in a dance called “Held” with the Australian Dance Theatre. In it, I photograph the dance live and, using a Canon 10D, the images are transmitted in real time onto two video projection screens.” After Greenfield produced some initial photographs, choreographer Garry Steward choreographed the dance, which includes Greenfield moving across the stage photographing the dancers during the actual performance. Although she’s familiar with the choreography, it’s a challenge to create an image that’s immediately displayed without the benefit of editing. “It can be hair-raising,” says Greenfield. “Yet I’ve found that it has brought me closer to my roots. I like the challenge. Compared to early in my career when I was shooting live performances, these shots are wild, even wilder because I’m so close up.” It seems that digital technology and her love of dance have served to enhance and nurture Greenfield’s love of photography. “I can always walk in and take a nice picture, but that isn’t enough for me,” says Greenfield. “I feel like I have to create something new each time. It’s exciting to take a picture of a unique moment in time. That’s one of the strengths of photography. You see it and it will never happen again.” Catching Digital Action Lois Greenfield’s extraordinary photographs capture dancers in motion. She freezes bodies in transitory positions that would otherwise be little more than a blur. She doesn’t use digital technology to Photoshop posed dancers—they’re in full motion all the way. It might seem odd, then, that Greenfield uses a Sinarback 23 on a Hasselblad 500cm body. Neither piece of gear is typically associated with action photography. Because Greenfield is using strobes, she’s capable of freezing the action. The Sinarback 23 is a single-shot back, meaning it can capture the full frame at one time. The setup has proven very effective for her dance photography. Greenfield is uncompromising in her demand for image quality and uses whatever equipment will help her achieve her goal. The Sinarback provides high-resolution and immediacy—features that have taken her in new directions as she’s shooting. The Sinarback gives Greenfield the freedom to shoot continuously and experiment beyond the shot she set out to get. To see more of Lois Greenfield’s photography, visit her Website at www.loisgreenfield.com.   |
